Write Better Prompts, Get Better Apps

Why Prompts Matter

The AI can only build what you describe. Vague prompts get vague results. Specific prompts get exactly what you want.

The Structure of a Good Prompt

1. What it is Start with the core concept.

"A recipe sharing app"

2. Who it's for Context helps the AI make design decisions.

"for home cooks who want to save and organize recipes"

3. Key features List the must-haves.

"Users can add recipes with ingredients and steps, search by ingredient, and save favorites"

4. Design direction Give visual guidance.

"Clean, minimal design with warm colors and food photography"

Example: Bad vs Good

Bad prompt:

"Make me an app"

Better prompt:

"Build a task manager where users can create tasks with titles and due dates, mark them complete, and filter by status. Use a clean design with blue accents."

Great prompt:

"Build a task manager for freelancers tracking client projects. Features: create tasks with title, description, due date, and client name. Mark complete with a checkbox. Filter by client or status. Show overdue tasks in red. Clean, professional design with a Notion-like feel. Include a dashboard showing tasks due this week."

Tips for Better Results

Be specific about data. Instead of "show some items," say "show 8 product cards with image, name, price, and add-to-cart button."

Describe interactions. "When you click Add to Cart, show a toast notification and update the cart count in the header."

Reference real apps. "Navigation like Stripe's docs" or "card layout like Airbnb's listings" gives clear direction.

One thing at a time. Build the basic version first, then add features. "Add dark mode" after the light version works.

Common Mistakes

Too vague: "Make it look good" - AI doesn't know your taste Too long: 500-word prompts often confuse more than help Contradictory: "Minimal but with lots of animations and colors" Assumed knowledge: "Like my other app" - AI doesn't remember past projects

Iteration Prompts

After the first build:

"Make the header sticky" "Increase the font size of headings" "Add a loading spinner when fetching data" "Change the primary color to #2563eb"

Small, specific changes work best.